Of the Moon, Pity, and Having a Heart
by Phyllis Nodrey
Summary: Revised August 21 05 Sesshoumaru visits Inuyasha one night with a question that has been haunting him. Oneshot.


**Of the Moon, Pity, and Having a Heart**

The early autumn night was cool and full of stars. The many branches of the trees of the forest blotted out patches of the sky. Through a gap in the leaves, long clouds could be seen scudding across a pale sickle moon.

"It is waning."

Inuyasha sprang into a crouch upon the branch he'd been sitting on. His golden eyes gleamed warily, piercing the darkness to rest upon the tall, white form in the night that was Sesshoumaru.

"What do you want here?" Inuyasha demanded in a low voice.

Sesshoumaru did not answer. He did not meet the heated gaze of his half-breed half-brother; instead he gazed upon the moon. "It signifies reincarnation, and immortality."

"What're you babbling about?"

"The moon, you little fool. Soon it will disappear, but it always returns. When it is half full, it suggests a life half fulfilled. When it is complete, it is a sign of life at its fullest. And the moon dwindles, like the mortals do, until it becomes nothing. Then the cycle renews itself. It is ageless, yet ever changing. Have you never found that interesting?"

Inuyasha sank back, relaxing a little. He knew that Sesshoumaru presented no danger when he rattled on about these stupid things. "It's the just the moon," he snorted. "It's boring, like you."

Sesshoumaru's form flickered slightly as—with a speed not perceivable to the mortal eye—he leaped up and lighted upon a branch directly opposite of Inuyasha's perch.

"I didn't come to listen to your meaningless opinions, little brother," Sesshoumaru informed him. "There is an uncertainty, one that has been troubling me of late. I am here to ask you—"

"You want to ask me something? This is so idiotic it has to be a dream."

"Shut up." Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I've had four hundred ninety-four years to mull over this question and I only wish for you to answer it."

Inuyasha sneered. "Fine. Ask away."

Sesshoumaru paused, his fingers lingering over Tenseiga's smooth pommel for a moment. "I loved our father," he said, almost absently. "Up until Father's death, his taking pride in my accomplishments was the one thing that mattered most to me. After you came... after I expressed my disgust at his...choice, Father scorned me.

"I thought I would never be able to forgive him for that..."

Typical, thought Inuyasha harshly.

"Then he died, and I realized that nothing had hurt me more in my life—that Father had passed on without me in his heart. You, on the other hand, he only saw a few times, and briefly. Yet he heeded you so much more." The last words seemed ground out, strange and erroneous-sounding coming from Sesshoumaru.

He can't seriously be jealous, can he? Inuyasha thought speculatively.

"He even sent you the black pearl after he died..." Sesshoumaru paused for a long moment, causing Inuyasha to fidget.

I don't even remember how the old man looked like, Inuyasha thought irately. Just that he was really tall and had a lot of hair. He hoped that if his answer was less than satisfactory that Sesshoumaru wouldn't pick a fight with him right over his sleeping friends.

Sesshoumaru spoke again, his voice much quieter than before. "Tell me, Inuyasha. What did Father see in you... that he did not see in me?"

Then, suddenly, the reality of Sesshoumaru's question hit him. His elder, condescending, full-breed brother was lowering himself to such a point of indignity in order to ask the one question that seemed to fuel his apparent hatred for Inuyasha.

Bitter feelings, burning like bile—feelings that Sesshoumaru did not want to feel—rose in his throat as he watched his unresponsive half-brother. What was he doing here, consorting with this half-breed whom he couldn't bear to lay eyes on since the day of his birth?

Beneath that glassy façade, Inuyasha imagined that his brother was probably suffering. And for the first time in his long life, he felt something for Sesshoumaru other than fear-tinged loathing. It was pity, or something vaguely resembling it. Inuyasha thought of others he had felt sorry for. Kikyou, the tragic priestess whom he had loved. Shippou, the unfortunate yet smiling orphan whom Inuyasha pretended to find objectionable. Miroku, who was bold before his impending fate. Sango, who strove on in spite of her dark, bloodied past. And Kagome, who had suffered so much for him.

Inuyasha looked back at Sesshoumaru, his face equally impassive. "A heart," he replied. "Father saw a heart."

O-o-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-o-O

Author: This is my first ever attempt at an Inuyasha fanfiction. I'm glad it turned out to be a one-shot. I've actually never written a one-shot like this before. Comments will be greatly appreciated. And yes, I realize I made Sesshoumaru COMPLETELY OOC, but don't kill me.

Now please take a moment and read my other InuYasha works here:

Moonrise over the Sea (Inu/Kago)  
and  
Dog Demon

And don't forget to review!


End file.
